March is Social Work Month, a time to recognize and honor those social workers who help make a difference in people’s lives.

At Catholic Charities we are fortunate to have many compassionate employees, including social workers and case managers dedicated to providing hope to New Yorkers in need.

On what we are calling “Social Work Wednesday” we invite you to meet some of our case workers, learn about what they do and see why they find their careers rewarding.

Milagros Nolasco – Senior Case Manager

Q: How long have you worked in the field of social work?

A: I’ve been working in this field for about 10 years.

Q: What does “social work” mean to you?

A: I could define social work in so many ways. Yet, most significant is being empathetic towards others’ needs. It’s providing services to the less fortunate and by this I’m not only referring to the poverty level but also to those other needs that remain such as the social environment, empowering individuals to reach out or connect with needed services, helping our client’s become aware of their situations and how to deal with them. Overall, social work involves having the empathy & devotion to assist individuals in need and more so helping stop the injustice which many times takes place within this society.

Q: What do you like most about your career?

A: What I like most about my career is being able to assist individuals in accomplishing their goals or in many cases just being able to plant that seed of hope or expectation in an individual that’s not feeling too good.